Ready, Steady Get set DEBATE!

Ready, Steady Get set DEBATE!
The Debate committee in Roots olympiad 09 will pose as a thrilling platform for all of you out there wishing to pour their hearts out. Your skills, yours passion and your enthusiasm for the wonderful phenomenon of debating. You can let it all out in the Debating Committe. Topics pertaining to the interest of the youth of Pakistan, and basically on which one enjoys arguing. Along with enjoyment and experience, we, the youth of Pakistan might just end up with solutions to the various crisis we face today.Don't worry this is not another 'boring debating committe' The heated discussions and opposing viewpoints will keep you on the edge of your seats!

Basic Procedure
First schools will be competing in a overall judgement competition. Four teams will be chosen for the seminfinals. And then two for the Final. The final Debate session will thus announce the overall winner of the debating committe.

BASIC RULES:
1.         The Debate shall be in English.
2.         Each institution can send up to a maximum of 2 teams comprising of 2 members each.
3.         Each institution must bring at least one adjudicator with them.
4.         There shall be four teams, two of them proposing the motion, i.e. the Opening Government and the Closing Government, and two opposing the  
motion, i.e. the Openng Opposition and Closing Opposition.
5.         The Opening Government shall define the motion and lay down the grounds for the debate whereas the Closing Government shall provide an extension to the case of the Opening Government. The Closing Government cannot, under any circumstances, backstab an Opening Government. Failure to provide an extension shall seriously dent the prospects of winning the debate for the Closing Government.
6.         The Opening Opposition shall establish a clash with the case brought forward by the Opening Government. It is preferable that it provides an alternative along with a positive case. Closing Opposition must provide an extension to the Opening Oppositions case and may not backstab the Opening Opposition.
7.         Backstabbing will be heavily penalized.
8.         No new points can be brought in by the last speaker of the Closing opposition.
9.         Each Speaker shall have the floor for 7 minutes.
10.       The first and the last minute shall be protected from Points of Information.
11.       All the teams must maintain decorum during the matches. Failure to do so shall be heavily penalized and may lead to the offending team's disqualification.
12.       Each team shall participate in at least 4 debates after which the top 8 shall qualify for the semi-finals.
13.       Teams shall be power ranked.
14.       The Olympiad Committee retains the right to change/alter rules without any prior notice.